On Wednesday morning we said a sad farewell to Davis Mountains State Park which had been a delightful and surprising campground over the last two days. The 3 hour drive to Big Bend National Park was uneventful but noteworthy for the extent to which much of it was driving on a highway that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. For the last 90 minutes of the drive through the Chihuahuan Desert before reaching Big Bend NP, we saw almost no cars on the highway and few signs of human habitation. Boy, were we glad that we didn’t have the truck or RV break down on that lonely road.
After passing the entrance station at the west end of the park, we had a 40 mile drive through the park to the campground we were planning to stay at along the Rio Grande River. Although most of the drive was through Chihuahuan Desert landscape similar to what we had seen outside the park, somehow the desert seemed to be more special – more like a park and not like a desert. This was not withstanding the fact that most of Big Bend National Park consists of “miles of miles of miles and miles.”
As we descended 2,000 feet from the center of the park to the Rio Grande River, it was amazing to watch the car thermometer inch upward and upward. By the time we got to the campground, the temperature had gone to the low 80’s to the low 90’s and it really felt like we were in a hot Texas desert climate. Being experienced travelers, we figured the best way to deal with such hot weather was to take a nap!!!! About an hour before sunset, we took a drive down the road to a nearby nature trail which the guidebook said had an overlook over the Rio Grande River which is a great place to watch the 
sunset. Unbeknownst to us, however, a weather front had decided to move in and bring with it very high winds. By the time we got to the top of the overlook, the wind was blowing so strong (gusts had to exceed 50-60 MPH) that we had to hold onto each other to keep from being blown off the hilltop. Unfortunately, the winds were accompanied with a heavy cloudbank which ended up obscuring most of the sunset but we could see that this spot indeed had great potential for gorgeous sunsets, so we vowed to come back later during our stay when the weather conditions were better. That night, we were constantly reminded of the power of Mother Nature as our Big Sky repeatedly rocked from the buffeting of these very high winds. And we felt very grateful to be safe in the campground and not traveling through the desert on our way to Big Bend when the high winds hit – we would have had to pull over on the side of the road in some remote spot to wait until the winds calmed down to continue our journey.
Big Bend NP - Day 2
We were delighted the next morning to find that our Big Sky RV had weathered the gale force winds without damage. However, as the winds were still blowing quite strongly, we decided to confine ourselves to visiting places of interest near the Rio Grande Village rather than venture into higher elevations in the park which we feared would be even windier.
Our first trip of the morning was to Boquillos Canyon, a narrow slot canyon cut by the Rio Grande River. After hiking along the river in order to reach the Boquillos Canyon, it was hard to envision how this somewhat sluggish river could have been powerful enough to cut through the mesa walls towering above us and carve out Boquillos Canyon. Either the river must have been more powerful in the past, or the canyon is a testament to how much even a sluggish river can accomplish when given enough time. In any event, it was a delight to be walking along the river and to see all of the varied colored layers of rock exposed when the river cut through the canyon. It was also startling, after all the political talk we had heard during the last year about problems of illegal immigration from Mexico, to look across this narrow river, which could easily be waded and realized that Mexico was just 30-40 feet away on the other side of the river.
As a side note, one aspect of the hike which added an unusual flavor dealt with its proximity to Mexico. At the parking lot at the trailhead, there were two signs of interest posted by the park service. The first warned that there had been a number of instances of cars being burglarized while people were hiking, and it advised us to remove all valuables from the car. Now they tell us!!!! The second sign of interest warned against buying any goods being sold by Mexican Nationals and that we risked possible prosecution, and confiscation of any products purchased. The reason for this latter warning soon became apparent as we came across piles of merchandise set out at various spots on the trail. The merchandise in each case consisted of a collection of painted walking sticks, scorpions made of twisted wire, and chunks of mineral/crystals being offered for sale. However, other than a piece of wood or stone set on the crowed indicating the prices for the merchandise, near an empty milk jug or other container in which to place the appropriate payment, there was no seller anywhere in evidence. We ultimately concluded that what must be happening is that Mexicans were crossing the river, depositing their products at various points on the hiking trails near the river, and then hiding in the nearby brush and watching to see either when someone bought some of this merchandise or a park ranger showed up to confiscate it. Both because of the warnings we had been given not to buy this merchandise and the generally cheap/shoddy nature of the merchandise, it was not hard to forego making a purchase. However, we did feel somewhat sad that Mexicans who are trying to earn some extra money by selling their wares had to be treated as criminals. In so many other ways, their offers to sell such merchandise seemed identical to the various offers we were subjected to by Americans or Native Americans at so many of the places we have travelled to in the last several months.
After returning from our hike to this delightful little canyon, we next drove over to Hot Springs, which were the remnants of a commercial establishment which operated in the 1920’s and 30’s to take advantage of some thermal springs adjacent to the Rio Grande River. The road into the Hot Springs ruins was extremely rough, and we were glad that we had both 4 wheel drive and high clearance with our pickup truck. But the ruins themselves were delightful. The few buildings still in existence showed evidence of quite attractive stone works used in their construction. There was a wonderful little cluster of palm trees near the river itself, and it was easy to imagine how visitors to the hot springs 70 years ago would have sat in their lounge chairs, sipping some exotic drink in the shade of the palm trees, while gazing across the Rio Grande River flowing nearby.
When we reached the site of the hot springs themselves, all that was left was the foundation of the bathhouse adjacent to the river where visitors used to come to take advantage of the healing properties of the hot springs. The foundation was sufficient, however, to trap the hot water bubbling up before it flowed into the river. Jo took off her socks and shoes, rolled up her pants, and dangled her feet above the incoming jet of hot mineral water while sitting on the stone wall foundation just a foot away from the flowing waters of the Rio Grande. Time will tell whether the hot mineral springs had any therapeutic value but Jo certainly enjoyed it and sat beaming while dangling her feet in the water…..and her hands too. As we eventually hiked away from the hot springs, Jo wanted to leave open the possibility of making another stop here before leaving the park later this week.
After leaving the hot springs, we drove up the main visitor’s center to view their exhibits on the park and a little nature trail next to the visitor’s center. Thereafter, we drove back towards the Rio Grande Village, stopping in a little Oasis in the midst of this large expansive desert. There was a windmill left over from an old farmhouse established here 70-80 years ago. The windmill
was still in operation and was pumping out a small amount of water as the wind spun the blades of the windmill. Although the amount of water was small, its affects were substantial – there was a profusion of trees and other dense vegetation totally unlike the surrounding desert landscape. It really made us appreciate the critical value of water. The difference between the vegetation around this oasis and the surrounding desert was driven home even further when we took a walk on an extended nature trail in the surrounding desert landscape. The signs on the nature trail provided useful insights into how the various plants in the desert find a way to survive under such arid condition, either by storing water in the plants (as many of the cactus do), and/or by growing a profusion of thorns to keep animals from feeding on the plants. While beautiful to observe, we were glad we were wearing heavy slacks so as not to be injured by the sharp thorns on the plants all around us. What austere beauty.
Our last stop for the day was to return to the overlook above the Rio Grande in order to watch another sunset. What a difference a day makes as we were no longer subjected to the heavy winds we had experienced the day before. We had a good view of both the western sky and the cliff walls to the east, in Mexico, which reflected the setting sun by transitioning from light pink sandstone to a bloody red color in the last glow of the setting sun. The clouds in the western sky progressed beautifully from yellow to pink to orange and finally to bloody red. While not as overwhelming as the beautiful sunset we had experienced above Davis Mountain State Park a few nights ago, this was a very pretty sunset and a wonderful way to end the day.
Big Bend Day 3
We decided to spend the next day visiting the western side of the park. The immense size of Big Bend National Park was driven home by the fact that we had to drive over 35 miles to get to the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive on the western side of the park and then had to drive another 20 miles to get down to the Santa Elena Canyon at the far end of the scenic drive. The western side of Big Bend NP is at an intermediate elevation, higher than the low desert near the Rio Grande Village where we were staying, but lower than the volcanic Chisos Mountains which form the central area of the park. It is amazing how the vegetation in this area of the park differs dramatically from that around the Rio Grande River area. The scenic drive provided some great overlooks and vistas allowing us to compare and 
contrast the landscape at the higher elevations near the volcanic Chisos Mountains with that on the land as it sloped down towards the Rio Grande River to the west. The highpoint of this day’s trip was a hike into Sonta Elena Canyon. The Rio Grande enters Big Bend on the western side of the park by carving another slot canyon through the mesa forming the western boundary of the park. Fortunately, there is a narrow band of land along the U.S. side of the river which allowed us to hike 0.8 miles into the canyon to truly appreciate the beauty of this slot canyon. In addition to being able to gaze up at the sheer rock walls carved by the Rio Grande River, we had an added bonus by in affect hiking through a jungle-type environment as we crept along the trail at the base of the canyon walls. The thick bed of reeds, which seemed very much like bamboo that was 12-15 feet high, formed a canopy over our heads as we bent over and crept along the path carved out in the midst of this profuse vegetation. In many areas, we really felt like we were crawling through a tunnel in a jungle as we made our way along the path. At the same time, we were again confronted by the fact that Mexico was no further away than the Canyon wall on the other side of the 40 foot wide river. A delightful little surprise at the end of our hike was to see three canoes paddling down the river waving to those of us clinging to our path along the canyon walls. On our return back to the trailhead, the darkening skies released a light trickle of rain, the first rain we had experienced since leaving Bryce Canyon National Park over a month ago. Not only did the rain not cause us any problem, it gave us the added bonus of a 
rainbow hanging in front of us when we worked our way out of the jungle!!!!!!
As with our travels the day before down near the Rio Grande Village, we again saw virtually no wildlife in the desert with the exception of a few birds, a couple of lizards and lots of tarantulas. Driving down the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, David would from time to time notice some dark little mass moving across the highway ahead of us. The first time we slowed down and were able to ascertain that it was a tarantula walking slowing across the highway. Since there was not oncoming traffic, it was relatively easy to maneuver the truck so as to straddle the tarantula and spare it from becoming road kill.
Big Bend Day 4
On our last full day in Big Bend, we drove into the Chisco Mountains and down into the basin nestled in the center of a ring of volcanic peaks. It was a pretty setting and we had a pleasant hike in a loop around a portion of the basin area. Wildlife were more plentiful than down in the desert area, including a deer who ran across the road on our drive up and two deer we say foraging during our hike. The lodge in the basin provides the only non-campground lodging in the park and the café there is the only food service facility in the park. Even with its captive population, however, the café was not crowded at lunch time and we had a nice window table with a good view of the surrounding mountains.
While at the visitor’s center, we had an extended chat with a middle-aged couple who are volunteers at the park. In return for working 3 days out of every 6 at the visitors center, they receive a free campground site and full hook ups for their RV. This is a somewhat different arrangement than our friend Kelley had at Chaco Canyon; apparently each park is free to work out its own arrangements with its volunteers/work campers. We obtained from them a brochure about the volunteer program and spent a good part of time that evening after dinner talking about the feasibility of getting this type of volunteer position in a park, perhaps next fall after we return from our planned trip to Alaska. It would provide a much more in-depth way of experience a national park and maybe a very viable alternative lifestyle once we have had a chance to see a number of the parks of interest to us around the country.
After passing the entrance station at the west end of the park, we had a 40 mile drive through the park to the campground we were planning to stay at along the Rio Grande River. Although most of the drive was through Chihuahuan Desert landscape similar to what we had seen outside the park, somehow the desert seemed to be more special – more like a park and not like a desert. This was not withstanding the fact that most of Big Bend National Park consists of “miles of miles of miles and miles.”
As we descended 2,000 feet from the center of the park to the Rio Grande River, it was amazing to watch the car thermometer inch upward and upward. By the time we got to the campground, the temperature had gone to the low 80’s to the low 90’s and it really felt like we were in a hot Texas desert climate. Being experienced travelers, we figured the best way to deal with such hot weather was to take a nap!!!! About an hour before sunset, we took a drive down the road to a nearby nature trail which the guidebook said had an overlook over the Rio Grande River which is a great place to watch the 
sunset. Unbeknownst to us, however, a weather front had decided to move in and bring with it very high winds. By the time we got to the top of the overlook, the wind was blowing so strong (gusts had to exceed 50-60 MPH) that we had to hold onto each other to keep from being blown off the hilltop. Unfortunately, the winds were accompanied with a heavy cloudbank which ended up obscuring most of the sunset but we could see that this spot indeed had great potential for gorgeous sunsets, so we vowed to come back later during our stay when the weather conditions were better. That night, we were constantly reminded of the power of Mother Nature as our Big Sky repeatedly rocked from the buffeting of these very high winds. And we felt very grateful to be safe in the campground and not traveling through the desert on our way to Big Bend when the high winds hit – we would have had to pull over on the side of the road in some remote spot to wait until the winds calmed down to continue our journey.Big Bend NP - Day 2
We were delighted the next morning to find that our Big Sky RV had weathered the gale force winds without damage. However, as the winds were still blowing quite strongly, we decided to confine ourselves to visiting places of interest near the Rio Grande Village rather than venture into higher elevations in the park which we feared would be even windier.
Our first trip of the morning was to Boquillos Canyon, a narrow slot canyon cut by the Rio Grande River. After hiking along the river in order to reach the Boquillos Canyon, it was hard to envision how this somewhat sluggish river could have been powerful enough to cut through the mesa walls towering above us and carve out Boquillos Canyon. Either the river must have been more powerful in the past, or the canyon is a testament to how much even a sluggish river can accomplish when given enough time. In any event, it was a delight to be walking along the river and to see all of the varied colored layers of rock exposed when the river cut through the canyon. It was also startling, after all the political talk we had heard during the last year about problems of illegal immigration from Mexico, to look across this narrow river, which could easily be waded and realized that Mexico was just 30-40 feet away on the other side of the river.As a side note, one aspect of the hike which added an unusual flavor dealt with its proximity to Mexico. At the parking lot at the trailhead, there were two signs of interest posted by the park service. The first warned that there had been a number of instances of cars being burglarized while people were hiking, and it advised us to remove all valuables from the car. Now they tell us!!!! The second sign of interest warned against buying any goods being sold by Mexican Nationals and that we risked possible prosecution, and confiscation of any products purchased. The reason for this latter warning soon became apparent as we came across piles of merchandise set out at various spots on the trail. The merchandise in each case consisted of a collection of painted walking sticks, scorpions made of twisted wire, and chunks of mineral/crystals being offered for sale. However, other than a piece of wood or stone set on the crowed indicating the prices for the merchandise, near an empty milk jug or other container in which to place the appropriate payment, there was no seller anywhere in evidence. We ultimately concluded that what must be happening is that Mexicans were crossing the river, depositing their products at various points on the hiking trails near the river, and then hiding in the nearby brush and watching to see either when someone bought some of this merchandise or a park ranger showed up to confiscate it. Both because of the warnings we had been given not to buy this merchandise and the generally cheap/shoddy nature of the merchandise, it was not hard to forego making a purchase. However, we did feel somewhat sad that Mexicans who are trying to earn some extra money by selling their wares had to be treated as criminals. In so many other ways, their offers to sell such merchandise seemed identical to the various offers we were subjected to by Americans or Native Americans at so many of the places we have travelled to in the last several months.
After returning from our hike to this delightful little canyon, we next drove over to Hot Springs, which were the remnants of a commercial establishment which operated in the 1920’s and 30’s to take advantage of some thermal springs adjacent to the Rio Grande River. The road into the Hot Springs ruins was extremely rough, and we were glad that we had both 4 wheel drive and high clearance with our pickup truck. But the ruins themselves were delightful. The few buildings still in existence showed evidence of quite attractive stone works used in their construction. There was a wonderful little cluster of palm trees near the river itself, and it was easy to imagine how visitors to the hot springs 70 years ago would have sat in their lounge chairs, sipping some exotic drink in the shade of the palm trees, while gazing across the Rio Grande River flowing nearby.
When we reached the site of the hot springs themselves, all that was left was the foundation of the bathhouse adjacent to the river where visitors used to come to take advantage of the healing properties of the hot springs. The foundation was sufficient, however, to trap the hot water bubbling up before it flowed into the river. Jo took off her socks and shoes, rolled up her pants, and dangled her feet above the incoming jet of hot mineral water while sitting on the stone wall foundation just a foot away from the flowing waters of the Rio Grande. Time will tell whether the hot mineral springs had any therapeutic value but Jo certainly enjoyed it and sat beaming while dangling her feet in the water…..and her hands too. As we eventually hiked away from the hot springs, Jo wanted to leave open the possibility of making another stop here before leaving the park later this week.After leaving the hot springs, we drove up the main visitor’s center to view their exhibits on the park and a little nature trail next to the visitor’s center. Thereafter, we drove back towards the Rio Grande Village, stopping in a little Oasis in the midst of this large expansive desert. There was a windmill left over from an old farmhouse established here 70-80 years ago. The windmill
was still in operation and was pumping out a small amount of water as the wind spun the blades of the windmill. Although the amount of water was small, its affects were substantial – there was a profusion of trees and other dense vegetation totally unlike the surrounding desert landscape. It really made us appreciate the critical value of water. The difference between the vegetation around this oasis and the surrounding desert was driven home even further when we took a walk on an extended nature trail in the surrounding desert landscape. The signs on the nature trail provided useful insights into how the various plants in the desert find a way to survive under such arid condition, either by storing water in the plants (as many of the cactus do), and/or by growing a profusion of thorns to keep animals from feeding on the plants. While beautiful to observe, we were glad we were wearing heavy slacks so as not to be injured by the sharp thorns on the plants all around us. What austere beauty.
Our last stop for the day was to return to the overlook above the Rio Grande in order to watch another sunset. What a difference a day makes as we were no longer subjected to the heavy winds we had experienced the day before. We had a good view of both the western sky and the cliff walls to the east, in Mexico, which reflected the setting sun by transitioning from light pink sandstone to a bloody red color in the last glow of the setting sun. The clouds in the western sky progressed beautifully from yellow to pink to orange and finally to bloody red. While not as overwhelming as the beautiful sunset we had experienced above Davis Mountain State Park a few nights ago, this was a very pretty sunset and a wonderful way to end the day.Big Bend Day 3
We decided to spend the next day visiting the western side of the park. The immense size of Big Bend National Park was driven home by the fact that we had to drive over 35 miles to get to the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive on the western side of the park and then had to drive another 20 miles to get down to the Santa Elena Canyon at the far end of the scenic drive. The western side of Big Bend NP is at an intermediate elevation, higher than the low desert near the Rio Grande Village where we were staying, but lower than the volcanic Chisos Mountains which form the central area of the park. It is amazing how the vegetation in this area of the park differs dramatically from that around the Rio Grande River area. The scenic drive provided some great overlooks and vistas allowing us to compare and 
contrast the landscape at the higher elevations near the volcanic Chisos Mountains with that on the land as it sloped down towards the Rio Grande River to the west. The highpoint of this day’s trip was a hike into Sonta Elena Canyon. The Rio Grande enters Big Bend on the western side of the park by carving another slot canyon through the mesa forming the western boundary of the park. Fortunately, there is a narrow band of land along the U.S. side of the river which allowed us to hike 0.8 miles into the canyon to truly appreciate the beauty of this slot canyon. In addition to being able to gaze up at the sheer rock walls carved by the Rio Grande River, we had an added bonus by in affect hiking through a jungle-type environment as we crept along the trail at the base of the canyon walls. The thick bed of reeds, which seemed very much like bamboo that was 12-15 feet high, formed a canopy over our heads as we bent over and crept along the path carved out in the midst of this profuse vegetation. In many areas, we really felt like we were crawling through a tunnel in a jungle as we made our way along the path. At the same time, we were again confronted by the fact that Mexico was no further away than the Canyon wall on the other side of the 40 foot wide river. A delightful little surprise at the end of our hike was to see three canoes paddling down the river waving to those of us clinging to our path along the canyon walls. On our return back to the trailhead, the darkening skies released a light trickle of rain, the first rain we had experienced since leaving Bryce Canyon National Park over a month ago. Not only did the rain not cause us any problem, it gave us the added bonus of a 
rainbow hanging in front of us when we worked our way out of the jungle!!!!!!As with our travels the day before down near the Rio Grande Village, we again saw virtually no wildlife in the desert with the exception of a few birds, a couple of lizards and lots of tarantulas. Driving down the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, David would from time to time notice some dark little mass moving across the highway ahead of us. The first time we slowed down and were able to ascertain that it was a tarantula walking slowing across the highway. Since there was not oncoming traffic, it was relatively easy to maneuver the truck so as to straddle the tarantula and spare it from becoming road kill.
Big Bend Day 4
On our last full day in Big Bend, we drove into the Chisco Mountains and down into the basin nestled in the center of a ring of volcanic peaks. It was a pretty setting and we had a pleasant hike in a loop around a portion of the basin area. Wildlife were more plentiful than down in the desert area, including a deer who ran across the road on our drive up and two deer we say foraging during our hike. The lodge in the basin provides the only non-campground lodging in the park and the café there is the only food service facility in the park. Even with its captive population, however, the café was not crowded at lunch time and we had a nice window table with a good view of the surrounding mountains.
While at the visitor’s center, we had an extended chat with a middle-aged couple who are volunteers at the park. In return for working 3 days out of every 6 at the visitors center, they receive a free campground site and full hook ups for their RV. This is a somewhat different arrangement than our friend Kelley had at Chaco Canyon; apparently each park is free to work out its own arrangements with its volunteers/work campers. We obtained from them a brochure about the volunteer program and spent a good part of time that evening after dinner talking about the feasibility of getting this type of volunteer position in a park, perhaps next fall after we return from our planned trip to Alaska. It would provide a much more in-depth way of experience a national park and maybe a very viable alternative lifestyle once we have had a chance to see a number of the parks of interest to us around the country.
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